Morecambe 0-6 Academy

Luke Pritchard scored four as Preston thrashed Morecambe in a thoroughly one-sided contest.

Three goals in either half saw Preston cruise to a comfortable victory and the score-line did not flatter the visitors.

The victory was Preston’s first win in four following two consecutive draws and an agonising defeat to Crewe on penalties in the FA Youth Cup.

Manager Nick Harrison said: “First and foremost it’s a great result, another cleansheet, six goals, but more importantly the actual performance and how we played and how we passed the ball well, we worked hard.

“As a team we did well so I’m delighted.

“Luke was just one of many (good performances).

“I thought the starting 11, the three boys that came on, it’s not just about Luke Pritchard scoring four goals, the boys have actually supplied him with the goals.

“Luke’s done well, but I think the credit has got to go to all the players that were involved in the game and that includes the ones that didn’t even get on the pitch.”

Preston set out their intentions early on, forcing a series of corners and laying siege to the Morecambe goal.

The deadlock was broken after just ten minutes with Sam Livesey beating his man, and his cross was met by Pritchard whose header gave Preston a deserved lead.

Pritchard soon doubled his tally for the afternoon as well as his sides lead when he tapped home a cross from the left by James Quigley following a free-flowing passing move.

His hat-trick was to be completed just before half-time as Morecambe gifted Preston a comfortable lead at the break.

A poor goal kick fell straight to Livesey who interchanged well with Eddie Dsane to square the ball to Pritchard who scored one-on-one with the ‘keeper.

Thoroughly deserving of their lead at the break in terms of possession and on chances created, Preston came out in the second half looking for more goals and they were not to be left disappointed.

As Pritchard drove his side forward, Dsane’s shot was saved well by Morecambe ‘keeper Will Kitchen, but Preston worked the ball back into the box and Adam James Robinson fired home from 12 yards out.

The hosts were unable to stop the ease at which Preston were passing and moving the ball, but for all Preston’s flamboyant play, their fifth will be one that the Morecambe ‘keeper will not want to see again.

A shot from range by substitute James Boyd was spilled straight into the path of Dsane who converted the chance to score a well-deserved goal for his persistence and endeavour.

Their sixth was even more comical, as a slide tackle from the Morecambe defence turned into a perfect through ball for Dsane who had his shot saved, but Pritchard made no mistake with the rebound.

The game finished six-nil, but in truth it could have been many more.

Made to feel at home by their hosts, the visitors simply outclassed Morecambe.

While Pritchard was delighted to have scored four, he knows that it was the kind of result his side needed after a series of frustrating results in the last few weeks.

He said: “We’ve played well the last few games but we’ve not been able to put the ball in the back of the net, so today we’ve put that right and scored six.

“It was a good team performance; it’s good to get the win and good on a personal note to score four because I’ve not scored in a few weeks.”

Preston will now be hoping to secure back-to-back wins next week at Blackpool, something that they have not done in their last 11 games after regularly being disappointed by a series of draws.

Harrison said: “We’ve had lots of draws this season.

“What’s pleasing about the draws is that we’ve not conceded in lots of them, on the negative side of that we haven’t scored enough goals, and that’s really what we challenged the players to do today.

“I actually thought we could have had eight or nine or even ten, and I think that would have been a good reflection on the game.”